1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to improvements in a fastener dispensing device which dispensing device includes a trigger means for activating a push rod to extend through a stationary hollow needle member, the needle member having a free, front end, whereby to anchor a fastener to a fabric material or other pierceable material.
More specifically, the invention relates to means for positioning the product over the stationary needle during the fastening operation.
Typically, the fastener is used to attach tags, labels, or the like to the fabric material or other product in such a manner that, after the fastening operation is completed, the tag is mounted on the fastener and the fastener is anchored to the product so that the tag is attached to the product by the fastener.
The invention also relates to a tag dispenser for use with the fastener dispensing device which automatically places a tag in position to be mounted on the stationary needle before each fastening operation.
The invention also relates to the tag dispenser, per se.
2. Description of Prior Art
Devices of the above nature are known in the art as illustrated in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,069,878, Flood, Feb. 9, 1937, 3,103,666, Bone, Sep. 17, 1963, 3,924,788, Furutu, Dec. 9, 1975, 4,487,354, Ueno, Dec. 11, 1984 and 4,538,754, Furutsu, Sep. 3, 1985.
The above patents relate to the device per se and to improvements in the dispensing operation of the device. In operation of the device, the material to which the fastener is to be anchored is held in one hand with two fingers of the one hand being placed on either side of the spot at which the fastener is to be anchored. The fingers spread the material apart whereby to maintain the material between the fingers taut and rigid. The device is held in the other hand and a tag is mounted, usually manually, on the needle. The needle is pushed through the material between the two fingers of the one hand. It will be appreciated that it is necessary to so hold the material as a taut surface is necessary if the needle is to penetrate the material.
The needle is pushed through the material from one side (usually the front) to the other side (usually the back) and one bar of the fastener remains on the one side while the other bar of the fastener is disposed on the other side, as described in the above patents, so that the fastener is anchored to the material. The tag remains on the one side mounted on the filament of the fastener (the filament connects the bars) so that the tag is attached to the material by the fastener.
The device is used for affixing tags to clothing and other products made of a pierceable material. The tags can contain such information as the size of the product, the cost of the product or inventory information for the retail outlet.
The problem with the above-described procedure is that it is, outside of the affixing step performed by the device, an entirely manual procedure which is therefore labor intensive and, accordingly, very costly. In addition, there is the danger that a worker applying the fastener will pierce his finger with the needle so that there is a certain degree of danger to the operators of the procedure. Further, because the needle of the dispensing device is stationary, the fastening operation is not easily automated.
It can be seen that the manual steps which are performed by an operator are as follows:
1. Mounting the tag on the needle;
2. Holding the material;
3. Bringing the needle to the material (or vice-versa); and
4. Piercing the material with the needle and then dispensing the fastener.
Although there are some machines which automate some or all of the above steps, the machines are typically fairly large, complex and expensive. In addition, the machines are fixed in place so that it is always necessary to bring the articles of clothing (or other product) to the machine. Thus, although these machines do eliminate manual labor in one respect, they impose manual labor in a different respect, that is, it is necessary to manually bring the product to the machines and then to return the product to either hangers or other carriers after the fastening operation has been completed.